Educational device



Nov. 22, 1932;. G, WWATKINS 2,137,736

EDUCATIONAL DEVI CE Filed Dec. 21, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet l f/we W.

Patented Nov. 22, 1938 PATENT OFFICE EDUCATIONAL DEVICE Grace W. Watkins, Aurora, 111., assignor to The Strathmore Company, Aurora, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application December 21, 1935, Serial No. 55,498

17 Claims.

The invention relates to educational devices of the type wherein problems to be solved are sub-- mitted to the students, and the general aim of the invention is to provide a new and improved device in which the problems may be easily submitted on problem sheets which are not destroyed by use but may be preserved for submission to other students, in which the answers are written and preserved on a temporary writing means until correction thereof and then may be quickly erased and'the writing means used in other work, and in which correction of the students answers may be easily and quickly made.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character in which a problem to be solved is presented on a substantially transparent sheet which is used in conjunction with an overlying flexible transparent sheet on which the student writes his solution to the problemwithout permanently marking the sheet and an underlying means which preserves a mark made by the pressure of the students writing instrument, whereby the problem sheet is protected while in use.

Another object is to provide a novel article for use in connection with a temporary writing instrumentality, which article is in the form of a problem or an answer sheet or sets of these sheets, these sheets being individually insertable in such an instrumentality and being characterized in that they permit a solution written on the instrumentality to be seen therethrough and in that at least the problem sheet permits a line of impressure to be transmitted to the underlying surface substantially the same as though the shee were not present.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of an improved temporary writing means embodying novel means for preventing accidental loss of written matter, and means for determining the positions of problem and answer sheets associated therewith.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent in the following description and from the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a. face view of a temporary writing means forming a part of the present invention, parts being broken away for better illustration. 1

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal side edge view of the writing means shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of said writing means showing solutions ofproblems and the manner of erasure thereof.

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are fragmentary face views of the educational device showing, successively and respectively, use of the problem sheet and partial solution of the problems, the solutions only after removal of the problem sheet, and use of the answer sheet to check the solutions.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view on an enlarged scale of a device having a problem or answer sheet incorporated therewith.

Fig. 8 illustrates a series of representative problem sheets.

Fig. 9 shows an answer sheet for the problemsheets illustrated in Fig. 8.

While the invention is susceptible of various modifications and alternative constructions, I have shown in the drawings and will herein describe in detail the preferred embodiment, but it is to be understood that I do not thereby intend to limit the invention to the specific form disclosed, but intend to cover all modifications and alternative constructions falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the educational sys em for-which the present device is adapted, problems of various kinds are submitted to a class by means of problem sheets, one being given to each student. Heretofore, the students placed the answers, as the problems were solved, in a work book which was submitted to the instructor or otherwise corrected. The problem sheets were returned to the instructor but they were usually so marked or mutilated during use that replacement thereof for the next class was required. This procedure was costly and the work books, being suitable for but, a single use, further increased the expense.

The present invention embodies, in conjunc tion with a problem sheet, writing means having an underlying part upon which writing or other marks may be produced merely by the impression force exerted when a user writes upon an overlying member. The underlying part is preferably in the nature of a temporary writing device capable of having the writing thereon erased almost instantly and without damage thereto so that the device may be repeatedly used. The overlying member is thin, tough, flexible and smooth, whereby a writing instrument moved thereover will not noticeably affect the surface, but accurate impressions will be transmitted therethrough to the underlying part. The overlying member moreover is transparent to permit a problem on a problem sheet placed thereunder to be readily seen, and the problem sheet is also transparent so that a solution presented by the Underlying part will be seen in its proper position relative to the problem. The undamaged problem sheet may subsequently be removed without affecting the written solution and a sheet bearing the correct answers substituted therefor to facilitate correction of the solutions.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, I (Figs. 1 and 2) designates generally a form of temporary writing means which is preferably employed. This means includes a base ll of a rigid, firm material such as heavy cardboard having one surface thereof covered with an evenly distributed coating of a colored impressionable material which may be a dark waxy material having a somewhat tacky nature; Overlying the coated surface of the base is a semi-opaque impression sheet H which is adapted to adhere to the base when pressed thereagainst and throughout the adhering areas to become transparent so that the base shows clearly through such areas. Preferably a thin, flexible sheet of a material, such as Celluloid, having the surface next the base lightly sand blasted or otherwise treated to render the sheet semi-opaque and capable of adherence to the base, is employed, although tissue paper and similar materials may be used.

Overlying the semi-opaque sheet is a transparent flexible writing sheet l3 of Celluloid or like material. This sheet I3 is smooth and relatively tough to withstand wear, yet is amply yielding to permit a user to write thereon and produce adherence between the base and semi-opaque sheet along the line of pressure without using undue force. With a sheet of Celluloid or the like, a stylus may be employed or the user may write with "an ordinary pencil since the pencil will not mark the writing surface.

The temporary nature of the device is derived from the fact that all impressions may be instantly obliterated by merely separating the semi-opaque sheet from the ,base. Accidental separation would be decidedly undesirable in the present instance and a novel and simple means for preventing such action is provided. Thus, as best shown in Figs. 1 and 7, the semi-opaque sheet is secured to one edge of the base, herein the bottom edge, by such means as a line of metallic staples H and an overlying edge binding l5 of fabric or paper. The outer transparent sheet I3 is secured to a different edge, in this instance the top edge, by similar staples and binding to extend across the base in a different direction than does the semi-opaque sheet. Hence, the transparent sheet binds the semiopaque sheet smoothly and firmly in place and accidental displacement of the semi-opaque sheet relative to the base is prevented even though the transparent sheet is shifted as the user writes. thereon. 3

The semi-opaque sheet does not extend quite to the top of the base, as may be seen in Figs. 2 and '7, and if desired an inserted transversely extending tab l6 may be provided with spaces thereon, as shown at I! (Fig. 1), for the owners name and the like. To erase writing from the device, the transparent sheet I3 is turned upwardly and the semi-opaque sheet turned downwardly away from the base, as shown in Fig. 3. A notch [8 may be provided in one edge of the base to enable a user to grasp the semi-opaque sheet readily.

In Fig. 8, a set of problem sheets 23 is shown. The problems on the sheets in each set are identical and the sheets may carry one or more problems I 8, together with appropriate directions 20. They may also provide spaces 2! designating the location of the name of the student and other information, to be used if the writing means does not carry a tab IS. The problem sheets are of substantially transparent material, such as thin, transparentized paper.

In use, the student is handed a problem sheet which he inserts in the writing device between the transparent sheet I3 and the semi-opaque sheet I2 (see Fig. 7). The problem is thus presented as though printed on the transparent sheet and the student may without difficulty work on the solution. When a solution is reached, the student writes it upon the transparent sheet but the visible result is produced by the adherence of the semi-opaque sheet to the base along the lines of impression. During this stage, the device appears as shown in Fig. 4, the solutions of the student being indicated at 22.

Upon completion of the problem, the student removes the problem sheet and returns it undamaged and unmarked to the instructor for subsequent reuse. The solutions written by the student remain unchanged as shown in Fig. 5, and the writing means may then be collected for correction. To facilitate correction, an answer sheet 24 bearing the correct answers to each problem may be provided, this sheet also being substantially transparent. Such a sheet is illustrated in Fig. 9 and the answers are designated by the numeral 25. The instructor, in using the answer sheet, preferably inserts the answer sheet between the transparent and semi-opaque sheets and by quick comparison easily corrects the work. If desired, each answer occupies the approximate position of the problem to which it relates and it has been found advantageous to offset the position of the answers so that they will be located at one side of but adjacent to the solutions written by the student. In this embodiment, the answers are printed to be positioned immediately above the students solutions when the answer sheet is placed in the writing means as shown in Fig. 6. Where the problem and answer sheets are to have this correlation, the writing means preferably includes means for designating the proper position of each of said sheets. Herein the junction of the transparent sheet and the base serves this purpose.

From the foregoing, it will be evident that a new and improved educational device has been provided which is economical from the standpoint of saving in problem sheets and work books and is also easy and convenient to use. Many different problem and answer sheets may be used with each writing instrumentality and the problem and answer sheets may accordingly be supplied in sets of various combinations either with a writing instrumentality or for use with an instrumentality which has previously been supplied. Moreover, the present device enables the instructor to check the students initial accuracy, since partial erasures are not possible. While mathematical problems of a relatively simple nature have been shown herein, it is to be understood that problems in many subjects other than mathematics may be presented in the same manher and that the present invention may be used in instructing pupils of all ages. Moreover, the invention is capable of wide-spread use in other environments than that of pure instruction.

I claim as my invention:

1. An educational device comprising, in combination, temporary writing means including a dark-colored impressionable base member, a flexible semi-opaque impression sheet secured to said base at one side edge to extend thereacross and adapted when impressed against said base to adhere thereto and make visible the line of imp'ressure, said line being erased by separation of said base and impression sheet, a transparent and flexible writing sheet having a smooth writing surface and secured to said base at another side edge to extend across said base and said impression sheet in a different direction whereby to bind said impression sheet against accidental separation from contact with said base, a substantially transparent problem sheet adapted to be inserted between said impression and writing sheet and bearing characteristics thereon presenting to the user through said transparent writing sheet a problem to be solved, and a substantially transparent answer sheet adapted to be substituted for said problem sheet after the user has entered his solution by writing it upon said writing sheet and causing corresponding adherence between said base and impression sheet, said answer sheet bearing the correct solution to the problem in a position at one side of said written solution for ready comparison therewith, said writing means having means for correlating the association of said problem and answer sheets therewith to ap proximately the same relative position.

2. An educational device comprising, in combination, temporary writing means including a dark colored impressionable base member, a flexible semi-opaque impression sheet secured to said base at one side edge to' extend thereacross and adapted when impressed against said base to adhere thereto and make visible the line of impressure'; said line being erased by separation of said base and impression sheet, a transparent and flexible writing sheet having a smooth writing surface and secured to said base at another side edge to extend across said base and said impression sheet in a different direction whereby to bind said impression, sheet against accidental separation from contact with said base, a substantially transparent problem sheet adapted to be inserted between said impression and writing sheet and bearing characteristics thereon presenting to the user through said transparent writing sheet a problem to be solved, and a sub-stantially transparent answer sheet adapted to be substituted for said problem sheet after the user has entered his solution by writing it upon said writing sheet and causing corresponding adherence between said base and impression sheet,

said answer sheet bearing the correct solution to the problem for compariso'n with the solution written by the user.

3. An educational device comprising, in combination, temporary writing means including a dark colored impressionable base member, a flexible semi-opaque impression sheet secured to said base at one side edge to extend thereacross and adapted when impressed against said base to adhere thereto and make visible the line of impressure, said line being erased by separation of said base and impression sheet, a transparent and flexible writing sheet having a smooth writing surface and secured to said base at another side edge to extend across said base and said impression sheet in a different direction whereby to bind said impression sheet against accidental separation from contact with said base, a substantially transparent problem sheet adapted to be inserted between said impression and writing sheet and bearing characteristics thereon presenting to the user through said transparent writing sheet a problem to be solved, whereby the problem is presented substantially as though carried by the writing sheet and the solution written by the user on the writing sheet and made visible by the corresponding adherence of the impression sheet to the base appears substantially as though written on said writing sheet and remains unchanged after the problem sheet has been removed.

4. An educational device comprising, in combination, writing means including coacting members, one of which carries a dark colored impressionable material and the other is semiopaque, said members being capable when pressed together to adhere and show the areas of adhesion, a smooth transparent member overlying said semi-opaque member and having flexibility to permit transmission"therethrough of writing pressure to cause adherence between said coacting members, a problem sheet having characteristics thereon presenting a problem to be solved and adapted to be removably inserted between said transparent andsemi-opaque members, said problem sheet being substantially transparent so that the solution written on said transparent member and made visible by the adherence between said coacting members may be seen by the user, and an answer sheet presenting the correct solution to the problem 'on said problem sheet adapted to be inserted in place of said problem sheet, said answer sheet being substantially transparent so the previously written solution may be seen and having said correct solution located at one side of the corresponding written solution for ready comparison.

5. An educational device comprising, in combination, writing means including coacting members one of which carries a dark colored impressionable material and the other is semi-opaque, said members being capable when pressed together to adhere andshowthe areas of adhesion, a smooth transparent member overlying said semi-opaque member and having flexibility to permit transmission therethrough of writing pressure to cause adherence between said coacting members, a problem sheet having characteristics thereon presenting a problem to be solved and adapted to be removably inserted between said transparent and semi-opaque members, said problem sheet being substantially transparent so that the solution written on said transparent member and made visible by the adherence between said coacting members may be seen by the user, and an answer sheet presenting the correct solution to the problem on said problem sheet adapted to be insorted in place of said problem sheet, said answer sheet being substantially transparent so the previously written solution may be seen and compared with the correct solution.

6. An educational device comprising, in combination, writing means including coacting members one of which carries a dark colored impressionable material and the other is semiopaque, said members being capable when pressed together to adhere and show the areas of adhesion, a smooth transparent member overlying said semiopaque member and having flexibility to permit transmission therethrough of writing pressure to cause adherence between said coacting members, a problem sheet having characteristics thereon presenting a problem to be solved and adapted to be removably inserted between tween said coacting members may be seen by the user.

7. An educational device comprising, in combination, means presenting a surface adapted to preserve and present a visible mark of a color contrasting with the remainder of said surface made thereon by pressure of a writing instrument, an overlying and transparent member of material flexible to transmit pressure of a writing instrument to said means without substantial permanent distortion of said member, and transparent sheets adapted to be successively interposed between said means and transparent member, the first used of said sheets having a problem thereon for solution and the second used of said sheets having the correct solution of said problem thereon.

8. An educational device comprising, in combination, means presenting a surface adapted to preserve a visible mark of a color contrasting with the remainder of said surface made thereon by pressure of a writing instrument, an overlying and transparent member of material flexible to transmit pressure of a writing instrument to said means without substantial permanent distortion of said member, and a substantially transparent sheet for temporary insertion between said means and said transparent member and having a problem to be solved thereon.

9. An educational device comprising, in combination, means presenting a surface adapted to preserve and present a visible mark of a color contrasting with the remainder of said surface made thereon by pressure of a writing -nstrument, an overlying and transparent member of material flexible to transmit pressure of a writing instrument to said means without substantial permanent distortion of said member, and a substantially transparent sheet removably interposed between said means and said transparent member and having a problem thereon to be solved, said problem and the answer thereto written by the user appearing substantially as though presented on said transparent member but said answer being actually preserved and presented by said means so that said sheet bearing the problem may be removed and separated from the written answer.

10. In a device of the character described, the combination of an impressionable base of relatively dark color, a semi-opaque sheet secured to said base near one edge and extending across the surface of said base, said sheet being adapted to adhere to said base along lines of impression and where adherence occurs to become transparent so that the base color shows therethrough,

and a smooth flexible transparent sheet secured near one edge to extend across the base in a different direction to protect said semi-opaque sheet against accidental separation from said base.

' 11. In a device of the character described, the combination of an impressionable base of relatively dark color, a semi-opaque sheet substantially the area of said base and secured thereto at the lower edge to extend otherwise loosely toward and nearly to the top edge, said sheet being adapted to adhere to said base along lines of impression and where adherence occurs to become transparent so that the base color shows therethrough, and a flexible writing sheet of transparent material secured to the base at the top edge thereof to extend downwardly approximately to the lower edge in overlying relation to said semiopaque sheet.

12. In a device of the character described, the

combination of an impressionable base of relatively dark color, a semi-opaque sheet substantially the area of said base and secured thereto at the lower edge to extend otherwise loosely toward and nearly to the top edge, said sheet being adapted to adhere to said base along lines of impression and where adherence occurs to become transparent so that the base color shows therethrough, a flexible writing sheet of transparent material secured to the base at the top edge thereof to extend downwardly approximately to the lower edge in overlying relation to said .semiopaque sheet, and means for determining the position of a sheet inserted between said semi-opaque and writing sheets.

13. For use in an impressionable base type educational device of the character, described, a set of substantially transparent problem sheets having identical problems thereon to be solved, said sheets being separate for distribution individually to users and made of material having suflicient flexibility to permit transmission therethrough of writing pressure to cause an impression on an impressionable base type surface positioned beneath the same.

14. In an educational device or the like, the combination of a writing instrumentality including a substantially transparent member providing a writing surface and underlying means adapted to record and present for view through said member the lines of impression produced by a writing implement upon said writing surface, and a set of problem and answer sheets, the problem sheet having thereon characteristics which designate an act to be performed, said answer sheet having thereon characteristics arranged in the same relative position on the sheet as the characteristics on the problem sheet and designating the correct solution to the problem presented on the problem sheet, said problem sheet being adapted for insertion between said member and the underlying means and having the characteristics of being sufiiciently flexible to permit lines of pressure made on said member to be transmitted therethrough to said underly ing means so that the user's solution of the problem may be recorded and being sufliciently transparent to enable the recorded solution to be visible, said answer sheet being adapted for association with said instrumentality to place the proper answer adjacent to the user's written solution for comparison and being sufliciently transparent to enable the user to see the written solution therethrough when the answer sheet is superimposed upon said instrumentality.

15. In a device for educational purposes or the like, the combination with a temporary writing instrumentality having a dark colored impressionable base, an overlying semi-opaque sheet adapted to be pressed into adherence with said base to cause the lines of impressure to become visible through said sheet, and a second substantially transparent sheet providing a writing surface and through which pressure may be transmitted to produce such visible lines of impressure, of a sheet adapted for insertion between said semi-opaque and second sheets and bearing characteristics for coordination with visible matter produced upon the instrumentality by the user, the insertable sheet being of such character that lines of impressure are visible through said insertable sheet and the pressure applied to said writing surface will-produce the lines of impressure substantially the same as though the insertable sheet were not present.

16. An article of manufacture for use in connection with a temporary writing instrumentality of the character in which an impresison made on an outer transparent writing surface member is recorded on an underlying impression member, comprising a sheet bearing characteristics indicating an act to be performed and recorded on said instrumentality by the user, said sheet being capable of insertion between the writingsurface member and the impression member, said sheet being sufl'iciently flexible to permit lines of pressure on said writing-surface member to be transmitted therethrough to produce a corresponding reproduction of said lines on the impression member; and said sheet being sufliciently transparent to permit the reproduced lines on the underlying impression member to be seen therethrough.

17. As an article of manufacture, a part of a device for educational or like purposes comprising a set of problem and senting indicia,

answer sheets prewhich designate, as to the problem sheet, an act to be performed and, as to the answer sheet, the result derived by proper performance of such act; said problem sheet being capable of insertion between the writing-surface member and the underlying impression member of a temporary writing instrumentality and being characterized in that an impression made on the overlying writing-surface member will be reproduced on the underlying impression member and be visible to the user substantially the same as though the sheet had not been inserted, said answer sheet being characterized in that the impression previously made on the instrumentality may be seen therethrough when said sheet is associated with said instrumentality in overlying relation to said impression member, said answer sheet having the indicia thereon arranged in substantially the same order and position as the corresponding problem indicia to facilitate comparison of the proper answer and that derived by the user.

GRACE W. WATKINS. 

